Chapter 8: In conclusion: rural households of Assam require continuous food based interventions provides a commentary on the role and significance of food based welfare
7.6 UTILISATION OF MDM IN THE STUDIED VILLAGES
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flaw in this regard was noticed in the time of survey where none of the registered was updated properly with the most recent records. The register of ASHA worker in Chaudhurirchar village consists of records of 2012-13 and in Kumargaon village it contains records of 2014. Similarly the AWW of both the villages have not updated any register.
The AWWs are paid a remuneration of Rs 3000 per month. In Chaudhurirchar village the AWW reported of not having salary at a regular basis. The AWW of both the villages are as per the official norm of 12 passed and the AWHs are matriculate in both the villages. The households reported of using ICDS handbook for all kinds of services as and when necessary in Kumargaon village whereas the households of Chaudhurirchar village reported rare use of any handbook for any kind of services.
Role played by village community: In both the villages, the village community plays a major role in functioning of the AWCs. In Chaudhurirchar village, village community plays a significant role in mobilising information to the beneficiaries, supplying drinking water, repairing the AWC. In Kumargaon village, transportation of food, mobilising information to the beneficiaries, selection of location for AWCs, providing land, supply of drinking water has been done by the village community.
programme was extended to all Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) centres and in Maqtabs and Madrassas. In 2004 the calories norm was fixed as per 300kcal and 8-12 grams of protein per child per school day. This norm was revised in September 2006 to 450calories and 12 grams of protein per child per school day at primary school level along with adequate micronutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamin A etc. The following table shows the current food entitlement to be provided to the children.
Table 7.10 Quantity (in grams) of food needs to be supplied to the MDM beneficiaries(per children per day)
Primary Upper Primary
Foodgrain 100 150
Pulses 20 30
Vegetable/ leafy vegetables 50 75
Oil and fat 5 7.5
Source: Government of India, 2010
Table 7.11 Weekly menu suggested in CMDM scheme
Weekdays Food items to be distributed
Monday Rice, Dal, Leafy vegetable Tuesday Khichdi/Soya, leafy vegetable
Wednesday Rice, egg curry/local option/leafy vegetable Thursday Rice, dal, leafy vegetable
Friday Rice, dal, leafy vegetable
Saturday Khichdi/pulao/ local option, leafy vegetable
Source: Government of India, 2010
The subsidies by the Central government include free supply of foodgrain i.e. 100 gram per child per school day and transportation subsidy of Rs50 per quintal till 2002. In 2004, the transportation subsidy was increased to Rs100 per quintal for North Eastern states and Rs75 per quintal for other states and a cooking cost of Rs1 per child per school day. In October 2006, cooking costs were further revised to Rs1.80 per child for NER states and Rs 1.50 per child per school day for other states and Union Territories. The coverage was increased for
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the upper primary level (class VI to VII) in some of the Educationally Backward Blocks (EBB) since 2007. The scheme was extended for children studying in National Child Labour Project Schools (NCLP) since 2009-2010. Since 2011, the cooking cost has been shared by the Central and State government. The cost sharing proportion is 75:25 for non-NER states and 90:10 for NER states. In 2015 for non-NER states the proportion became 60:40 and for NER and there Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand remained at 90:10 and for UT the Central government provided 100 per cent costs.
In Chaudhurirchar village, the menu mainly consists of rice, dal, khichdi and egg curry.
Though leafy vegetable is in the official menu for 6 days in a week but it is usually provided only twice or thrice in a week. Soya chunks were not provided during the reference period of survey time. The parents reported that, CMDM has benefitted the child as the child used to have one time full meal in school. However, they also reported to include more nutritious leafy vegetables and other options that are in official menu. On the other hand in Kumargaon village, leafy vegetable were provided three to four times in a week, soya chunks once in a week and also various kinds of local options including tomato-gur chutney and egg curry twice in a week.
Nutritional support provided to the beneficiaries: 100gms of rice per child was provided at LP level and 150gms rice are provided at UP level. The cash allowance of Rs4.14 per child has been provided by the government to purchase other food items such as pulses, vegetables, milk, egg and fuel cost. Though as per official record rice should be provided through GPSS agents but in both the villages rice is purchased by the school management authority by themselves.
Share of rice consumed from CMDM: As the parents reported of having full meal by the children, it can be estimated that the average monthly consumption of rice per child is 2.10kg at LP level and 3.15kg at UP level in both the villages. Similarly monthly consumption of pulses per child is 300gms to 350gms at LP level and UP level respectively in both the villages.
Availability of kitchen sheds and other utensils and other infrastructure: Temporary kitchen sheds are there in both the villages. One time fund of Rs. 7000 to buy utensils is provided by the government in the primary schools of both the villages. The manpower requirement is fixed at 1 cook for 25 students, 2 cooks for 26 to 100 students and the monthly honorarium for the cook cum helper has been fixed at Rs. 1000 per month. This norm was fulfilled in the schools of both the villages.
Maintenance of hygiene in kitchen: Cleanliness and hygiene was not properly maintained in both the villages. However, it was found that the kitchen shed of Kumargaon village was comparatively cleaner than that of Chaudhurirchar village.
7.6. 1 NFSA 2013 recommendation for ICDS and MDM scheme
The NFSA 2013 also recommends ensuring nutritional support to pregnant and lactating women and children in the age group between 6 months to 6 years through AWCs by providing free meal. It also ensures maternity benefit of Rs. 6000 as per the Central government‘s prescribed installments. This provision has not yet started in the state though GoA has its own maternity benefit scheme named as ‗Mamoni‘ with maternity benefit of Rs 1000 per beneficiary in two installments. On the other hand the AWW and ASHA workers are unaware about the inclusion of ICDS under NFSA 2013. In case of children between age group of 6-14 years, one free mid day meal is supposed to be provided through school meal programme in local aided or provincialised and government aided schools. Also every school and AWC must have proper infrastructure for cooking meal, drinking water and
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proper sanitation. However, AWCs of both the villages still do not have access to such basic facilities.